Ninghttp://www.businessinsider.com/category/ning
en-usFri, 09 Dec 2016 13:34:38 -0500Fri, 09 Dec 2016 13:34:38 -0500The latest news on Ning from Business Insiderhttp://static3.businessinsider.com/assets/images/bilogo-250x36-wide-rev.pngBusiness Insiderhttp://www.businessinsider.com
http://www.businessinsider.com/old-photos-of-tech-executives-2013-3What 12 Now-Famous Tech Executives Looked Like When They Were Younghttp://www.businessinsider.com/old-photos-of-tech-executives-2013-3
Sat, 30 Mar 2013 09:51:00 -0400Alyson Shontell
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/5156eacb6bb3f73367000003-400-/meg-whitman-young.png" border="0" alt="meg whitman young" width="400" /></p><p>What did today's most famous people in tech look like when they were young?</p>
<p>We dug up some old photos.</p><h3>Hewlett Packard CEO Meg Whitman, then:</h3>
<img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/5156e86769bedd6e63000016-400-300/hewlett-packard-ceo-meg-whitman-then.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>Meg Whitman now:</h3>
<img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/5156e996ecad04e66e000009-400-300/meg-whitman-now.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>Steve Jobs, then (age 10 on the left, high school graduation on the right):</h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/4e807277eab8ea847c000058-400-300/steve-jobs-then-age-10-on-the-left-high-school-graduation-on-the-right.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/old-photos-of-tech-executives-2013-3#steve-jobs-more-recently-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/old-pictures-young-tech-executives-jobs-gates-mayerBEFORE THEY WERE FAMOUS: Tech Executives Before You Knew Who They Werehttp://www.businessinsider.com/old-pictures-young-tech-executives-jobs-gates-mayer
Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:50:00 -0400Alyson Shontell
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/4e80ad24eab8eacf04000006/arianna-huffington-young.jpg" border="0" alt="arianna huffington young" /></p><p>We found old photos of famous tech executives.</p>
<p>Recognize the woman on the right?</p>
<p>Yup, that's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/arianna-huffington" class="hidden_link">Arianna Huffington</a>, at age 24.</p><h3>Carol Bartz, then</h3>
<img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/4e7900d8ecad04e00d00000b-400-300/carol-bartz-then.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>Carol Bartz, now</h3>
<img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/4e78e3196bb3f7f82b000049-400-300/carol-bartz-now.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>Eric Schmidt, then</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/4e8075d9ecad048639000031-400-300/eric-schmidt-then.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/old-pictures-young-tech-executives-jobs-gates-mayer#eric-schmidt-now-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/glam-media-buys-marc-andreessens-ning-2011-9Glam Media Buys Marc Andreessen's Ninghttp://www.businessinsider.com/glam-media-buys-marc-andreessens-ning-2011-9
Tue, 20 Sep 2011 20:03:00 -0400Matt Rosoff
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/4d07adce49e2aeb11b0e0000/marc-andreessen.jpg" border="0" alt="Marc Andreessen" /></p><p>Online publishing giant <a href="http://www.glammedia.com/about_glam/news/2011/09/20/glam-media-to-acquire-ning-the-leading-platform-for-creating-social-networks-and-owned-brand-fan-websites/">Glam Media has bought Ning</a>, Marc Andreessen's company that helps users build specialized social networks.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/bloomberg" class="hidden_link">Bloomberg</a> reported the price as $150 million, which is about 5x <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ning-2011-2">Ning's estimated revenue for this year</a>.</p>
<p>Glam is a massive online publishing network with more 2,500 publishers and more than 200 million users, putting it regularly among the top 10 Web sites. It's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/glam-media-is-picking-bankers-for-an-ipo-2011-2">on track to surpass $100 million</a> in revenue this year.</p>
<p>Andreessen founded <a href="http://www.ning.com/?n_e=0&amp;n_v=4">Ning</a> -- his third company after Netscape and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/loudcloud" class="hidden_link">Loudcloud</a> -- a few years back, and it now hosts more than 100,000 special-interest social networks.</p>
<p>Andreessen will be joining Glam's board of directors. He explains more about the deal <a href="http://blog.pmarca.com/2011/09/20/merging-glam-and-ning/">on his blog</a>.</p>
<p>Allen &amp; Co. represented <a class="hidden_link" href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/ning">Ning</a> in the transaction. <a class="hidden_link" href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/bank-of-america">Bank of America</a> <a class="hidden_link" href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/merrill-lynch">Merrill Lynch</a> represented Glam. </p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/glam-media-buys-marc-andreessens-ning-2011-9#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/gina-bianchini-mighty-bell-ning-2011-9Gina Bianchini's New Venture Tries To Change The World One Step At A Timehttp://www.businessinsider.com/gina-bianchini-mighty-bell-ning-2011-9
Thu, 08 Sep 2011 12:03:00 -0400Noah Davis
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/4e68aa2649e2ae3216000015/gina-bianchini.jpg" border="0" alt="gina bianchini" /></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/gina-bianchini" class="hidden_link">Gina Bianchini</a> is back.</p>
<p>The founder and former CEO of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/ning" class="hidden_link">Ning</a> is launching her newest venture, <a href="https://mightybell.com/home" target="_blank">Mightybell</a>, in limited beta Thursday as both a website and an iPhone/<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/ipad" class="hidden_link">iPad</a> app.</p>
<p>"The site is based on a simple idea, which is that you are what you do," Bianchini tells us over the phone. "People of action think big but break anything down into a series of small steps and you make anything doable."</p>
<p>Mighty<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/bell" class="hidden_link">bell</a> allows anyone to create an experience and break it down into easily followed steps. A 10-day trip to Alaska becomes 1) buy gear, 2) board the plane, 3) hike in a specific national park, 4) climb a specific mountain, and so on. A user checks off each subsequent step and can see the progress of others participating in the same experience.</p>
<p>Like with any good social software app, there are plenty of ways to encourage fellow users to keep going. Mightyb<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/bell" class="hidden_link">ell</a> feels a little like <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/the-daily" class="hidden_link">The Daily</a> Mile, except instead of keeping solely to running, it is lightweight and broad.&nbsp;</p>
<p>The focus of Mightyb<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/bell" class="hidden_link">ell</a>, however, is the creators. Analytics allow a creator to see how people are finding the experience (<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/facebook" class="hidden_link">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/twitter" class="hidden_link">Twitter</a>, email blasts, etc.) as well as the users who are recruiting the most active participants to the experience. Users are asked to rank each step - whether it made them happy, bored, excited, etc. - and a creator receives this information so he or she can retroactively refine a step to make it better.</p>
<p>"There is nothing out there that allows people to see the impact of their ideas in a really visceral way," Bianchini says.</p>
<p>More in depth analytics are one way Bianchini hopes to monetize the site. She believes there is value in knowing what motivates people to train for a triathlon, find a job, or travel to Alaska. Mightyb<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/bell" class="hidden_link">ell</a> is also launching with an option of creating premium experiences, and they will take a 25% transaction fee. Finally, Bianchini hopes there are some possibilities around e-commerce. The 15 items one needs to travel in Alaska could be purchased through a link (or through the site itself), and Mighty <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/bell" class="hidden_link">Bell</a> would receive a percentage.</p>
<p>The idea is an interesting one. Will people get excited about step-by-step instructions for accomplishing seemingly random tasks (even if they can choose said tasks)? Bianchini thinks so. We're not entirely sure - especially when it comes to spending money on those instructions - but we're willing to see where it goes. If this type of site can work, Mightybell is going to work. It's simply, easily, and smartly designed.</p>
<p>Mightybell currently consists of Bianchini, eight other people, and a summer intern. It is funded by a seed round she raised earlier this year led by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/floodgate" class="hidden_link">Floodgate</a>. The Founder's Collective also participated.</p><h3>This is the front page for "10 Down and Dirty Days in Southeast Alaska."</h3>
<img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/4e68a8d649e2ae481e000044-400-300/this-is-the-front-page-for-10-down-and-dirty-days-in-southeast-alaska.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>Creators has access to lots of analytics, including the ability to see how people signed up.</h3>
<img src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/4e68a8d749e2aed07a000058-400-300/creators-has-access-to-lots-of-analytics-including-the-ability-to-see-how-people-signed-up.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><h3>Profile pages also include useful analytic. </h3>
<img src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/4e68a8d849e2aecb5d00003a-400-300/profile-pages-also-include-useful-analytic.jpg" alt="" />
<br/><br/><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/gina-bianchini-mighty-bell-ning-2011-9#the-site-will-launch-simultaneously-with-a-mobile-app-4">See the rest of the story at Business Insider</a> http://www.businessinsider.com/ignition-tickets-way-cheaper-than-full-price-but-not-for-long-2011-8IGNITION Tickets: Way Cheaper Than Full Price, But Not For Longhttp://www.businessinsider.com/ignition-tickets-way-cheaper-than-full-price-but-not-for-long-2011-8
Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:00:00 -0400Arden Pennell
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<td style="padding: 0.5em;"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ignition/2011/venue"><span style="color: #ffffff; text-decoration: none; font-size: 13px; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans serif;">VENUE</span></a></td>
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<td style="padding: 0.5em;"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ignition/2011/sponsors"><span style="color: #ffffff; text-decoration: none; font-size: 13px; font-family: helvetica,arial,sans serif;">SPONSORS</span></a></td>
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<p>Want to hear directly from leaders at <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/facebook" class="hidden_link">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/twitter" class="hidden_link">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/linkedin" class="hidden_link">LinkedIn</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/hearst" class="hidden_link">Hearst</a>, and cutting-edge emerging media companies? We thought so -- and we're thrilled to announce some new speakers to IGNITION, Business Insider's second-annual conference on the future of media, including:</p>
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<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/adam-bain" class="hidden_link">Adam Bain</a>, CRO, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/twitter" class="hidden_link">Twitter</a></span></p>
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<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Jon Miller, Chief Digital Officer, News Corporation</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Deep Nishar, SVP of Products and User Experience, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/linkedin" class="hidden_link">LinkedIn</a></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Josh Kushner, Founder, Thrive Capital&nbsp;</span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/2011/speakers">and many more!</a></span></p>
</li>
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<p>If you're planning to attend, now is the best time to <a href="http://businessinsider.ticketleap.com/ignition2011/">buy your ticket.</a> Our ultra-early-bird discount -- more than 50% off full price -- is ending soon. Ticket prices jump up next week, on Sept. 1. &nbsp;</p>
<p>What will your ticket buy you? Well, we covered the news that one of Kushner's portfolio companies, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/groupme" class="hidden_link">GroupMe</a>, is to be acquired by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/skype" class="hidden_link">Skype</a> earlier this week. And on Nov. 30, when IGNITION kicks off at the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/time-warner" class="hidden_link">Time Warner</a> Center in New York City, more breaking news, fresh perspectives, and valuable market knowledge will be revealed and hashed out onstage. But don't take our word for it. See for yourself. We invite your comments and suggestions. See you at the event!&nbsp;</p>
<p>For more information on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ignition/2011">IGNITION</a>, including how to register, sponsorship opportunities, a complete speaker list and agenda,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ignition/2011">please click here.</a></p>
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<p><img src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/4e1c8b2549e2ae1c44120000/sheryl-sandberg.jpg" border="0" alt="Sheryl Sandberg" width="360" /></p>
<p><strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/sheryl-sandberg" class="hidden_link">Sheryl Sandberg</a></strong>, COO, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/facebook" class="hidden_link">Facebook</a></p>
<p><img src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/4e03a088ccd1d58b581f0000/adam-bain-of-twitter.jpg" border="0" alt="<a class=" width="360" /></p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/adam-bain" class="hidden_link">Adam Bain</a>, CRO, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/twitter" class="hidden_link">Twitter</a></p>
<p><img src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/4e8f235369bedd195e000042/ignition-sponsors-wide.jpg" border="0" alt="ignition sponsors wide" /></p>
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Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:45:00 -0400Arden Pennell
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<td style="padding: 0.5em;"><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ignition/2011">IGNITION:</a></td>
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<p>The second-annual <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/business-insider" class="hidden_link">Business Insider</a> IGNITION conference on the future of media is taking shape. (In case you've missed prior announcements, IGNITION is Nov. 30 to Dec. 1, 2011.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ignition/2011">Info and tickets are here</a>.)</p>
<p>We're excited to announce a handful of new&nbsp;speakers. They will share insights not only on technology changes at the forefront of media, but also on the latest strategy within major media companies. Joining keynote speaker <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/sheryl-sandberg" class="hidden_link">Sheryl Sandberg</a> of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/facebook" class="hidden_link">Facebook</a> are:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Adam Bain</strong>, CRO of Twitter</li>
<li><strong>Gina Bianchini</strong>, the former Ning CEO now at the helm of a yet-to-be-announced startup (which you're likely to hear a lot more about at IGNITION)</li>
<li><strong>Vivian Schiller</strong>, the chief digital officer at NBC News</li>
<li><strong>Elizabeth Spiers</strong>, editor of the New York Observer. &nbsp;(Yes, that's the Schiller who left her post as CEO at NPR to steer NBC news, and the Spiers who was a founding editor of Gawker, among other properties, before taking over at the Observer this year.)</li>
<li><strong>Josh Kushner</strong>, investor at Thrive Capital whose early investments include Group.Me, Paperless Post, and Sailthru</li>
<li><strong>Seth Goldstein</strong>, Co-founder of red-hot NYC startup, Turntable.fm</li>
<li>and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ignition/2011/speakers">many more</a></li>
</ul>
<p>We have new sessions to announce, among them:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>The strategic perspective on Big Data: The 3 questions media companies need to be asking their data teams.<br /><br /></strong>Experts addressing this topic include Hilary Mason, Bit.ly's chief scientist, and John Borthwick, CEO of Betaworks, the funding group that was an early advocate for using data smartly. Leaving out highly technical language, this discussion will cut to the core of why data matters to media companies -- and how to think about it.<br />&nbsp;</li>
<li><strong>R.I.P. Mad Men: Automation, Fragmentation and the New World Order of Advertising.</strong> Given tectonic shifts in advertising, who holds the power now? And how will that change?<br /><br />What are the underlying technological and behavioral changes that will reshape the advertising industry in the next 5 years?&nbsp;Ad maven and strategist Doug Weaver will moderate, joined by speakers including Randall Rothenberg, CEO and Chairman of the Interactive Advertising Bureau.</li>
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</table><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ignition/2011/new-speakers-2011-08#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/ning-partners-with-aviary-to-launch-the-first-high-res-photo-editor-2011-7Aviary Partners With Social Network Ning To Launch The First High Res Photo Editorhttp://www.businessinsider.com/ning-partners-with-aviary-to-launch-the-first-high-res-photo-editor-2011-7
Wed, 13 Jul 2011 12:00:00 -0400Alyson Shontell
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/4e1dba94cadcbb3550000000-399-250/aviary-photo-editor.png" border="0" alt="aviary photo editor" width="399" height="250" /></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/aviary" class="hidden_link">Aviary</a>, a cloud photo enhancer, launched a high resolution online photo editor today.</p>
<p>Its launch partner is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/ning" class="hidden_link">Ning</a>, the social network that was cofounded by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/marc-andreessen" class="hidden_link">Marc Andreessen</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/gina-bianchini" class="hidden_link">Gina Bianchini</a> in 2005.</p>
<p>The high res simple editor will be able to handle photos that are up to 25 mega pixels.</p>
<p>"Any website hosting high resolution photos can give their users the freedom of enhancing their photo without losing any quality or having to reduce the final size," says <a href="http://blog.aviary.com/feather-now-supports-high-resolution-photos/">Aviary's company blog</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://blog.aviary.com/ning-integrates-feather-to-add-photo-functionality-to-their-networks/">Ning will be using Aviary</a> to make sure all their pictures "really are worth 1,000 words."</p>
<p><strong>&ldquo;</strong>The photo feature continues to be one of the most popular on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/ning" class="hidden_link">Ning</a>, second only to the inbox/forum," the social network says. "By working closely with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/aviary" class="hidden_link">Aviary</a>, who already has an awesome photo editing product, we&rsquo;re now able to offer our users an easy way to create more engagement with their <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/ning" class="hidden_link">Ning</a> site."</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ning-partners-with-aviary-to-launch-the-first-high-res-photo-editor-2011-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/twilio-sxsw-2011-3Twilio Is The Real SXSW Group Texting Winnerhttp://www.businessinsider.com/twilio-sxsw-2011-3
Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:06:00 -0400Dan Frommer
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/4d8258ab4bd7c86a302c0000/twilio-ceo-jeff-lawson.jpg" border="0" alt="Twilio CEO Jeff Lawson" /></p><p>The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/sxsw" class="hidden_link">SXSW</a> conference this past week in Austin was theoretically supposed to be a launchpad for several mobile group texting/chat apps, including NYC's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/groupme" class="hidden_link">GroupMe</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/fast-society" class="hidden_link">Fast Society</a>, Facebook's Beluga, Kik, Yobongo, Ning's Mogwee, and others.</p>
<p>Who won? It basically sounds like there wasn't a single, clear winner -- that people were using a bunch of the apps.</p>
<p>So we're going to crown <a href="http://www.twilio.com/">Twilio</a> the winner.</p>
<p>Wait, you've never heard of Twilio? That's okay. If you're just <em>using</em>&nbsp;these apps, and not developing them, you're not supposed to know it exists.</p>
<p>Twilio powers parts of the back-end for several group texting/chat apps, including GroupMe, Beluga, Fast Society, and others. And Twilio cofounder and CEO <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/jeff-lawson" class="hidden_link">Jeff Lawson</a> tells us that the company saw a "good bump" in SXSW traffic.</p>
<p>In the early days of a new platform, it's often the infrastructure company behind the scenes that scores first. During the web video boom, the early winners were video distribution companies like Akamai and network equipment makers like <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/cisco" class="hidden_link">Cisco</a>.</p>
<p>Now that group texting is booming, Twilio is benefiting. That's not to say that one of these group texting companies won't someday become bigger than Twilio or replace it in their product with their own system. But today, it's good to be Twilio.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/groupme-office-tour-2011-2"><strong>Now check out our photo tour of GroupMe's HQ in NYC&nbsp;&rarr;</strong></a></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/twilio-sxsw-2011-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/mobile-chat-dumb-pipes-2011-3Finally, The Mobile Chat Market Is Getting Interesting... And The Carriers Are NOWHEREhttp://www.businessinsider.com/mobile-chat-dumb-pipes-2011-3
Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:25:00 -0500Dan Frommer
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/b0b9b914a63cdf4756d16600/brick-cell-phone.jpg" border="0" alt="brick cell phone" /></p><p>There is an <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/groupme-apps-2011-3">explosion</a> of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ning-mogwee-2011-2">innovation</a> in the mobile chat market. Companies and apps like <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/groupme" class="hidden_link">GroupMe</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/badoo" class="hidden_link">Badoo</a>, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/ning" class="hidden_link">Ning</a>/Mogwee, Yobongo, Textfree, Whatsapp, and others are pushing new features all the time, and mobile messaging is becoming much more interesting than just SMS.</p>
<p>And guess what: The carriers are nowhere. Not an ounce of innovation from the phone companies since they raised the cost of text messages from 10 cents to 25 cents, or whatever they cost now.</p>
<p>We're not surprised. Mobile chat is becoming about good <em>software</em>, not just access to a network, and carriers have always stunk at software.</p>
<p>The interim good news, perhaps, is that popular mobile chat services could lead to more smartphone adoption and more mobile Internet access subscriptions, which is a growth area for carriers.&nbsp;But that's probably not going to be as profitable as the SMS plans that these new services will eventually replace.</p>
<p>And while mobile Internet subscriptions are moving to consumption-based models, and not unlimited access, mobile chat isn't going to move the revenue needle there. That's where mobile video is going to drive usage and revenue up -- and probably not as profitably as SMS has been all these years.</p>
<p>Other potential outcomes: Carriers could try brokering ads in all these cool new apps. Or could do something big in mobile payments. Or they could lower the cost of text messaging and hope it continues to be the go-to, cross-platform "push notification" standard.&nbsp;Or they can buy one of the apps and hope it eventually prints money.</p>
<p>Anyway, it's probably a good thing for consumers that mobile carriers are becoming more "dumb pipes." But if carriers still have ambitions to be more, they'd better start innovating quickly.</p>
<p><strong>Read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mary-meeker-matt-murphy-2011-2">Mary Meeker's Latest Amazing Presentation About The Future Of Tech</a></strong></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mobile-chat-dumb-pipes-2011-3#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/ning-mogwee-2011-2Ning Launches A Whole New Business: A Mobile Chat App Called "Mogwee" (AAPL, GOOG)http://www.businessinsider.com/ning-mogwee-2011-2
Mon, 28 Feb 2011 22:00:00 -0500Dan Frommer
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static3.businessinsider.com/image/4d6c601249e2ae6a21040000/mogwee.jpg" border="0" alt="Mogwee" /></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/ning" class="hidden_link">Ning</a>, the "build your own social network" platform co-founded by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/marc-andreessen" class="hidden_link">Marc Andreessen</a>, is launching an entirely new business tonight, an attempt to capture part of the fast-growing mobile chat and social networking industry.</p>
<p>The new product, "<a href="http://www.mogwee.com/">Mogwee</a>," is basically a fun, real-time, mobile chat service, for both 1-on-1 and group conversations. Ning CEO Jason Rosenthal, who is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ning-2011-2">leading the company in a sort-of second coming</a>, explained it to us earlier today.</p>
<p>You chat with your friends, live, on your smartphones, sort of the way people are currently using services like <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/groupme" class="hidden_link">GroupMe</a>, WhatsApp, Textfree, and others. And you can do things like share your location, share photos, pull the restaurant you're at into the conversation, etc. (<a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mogwee/id419135466?mt=8&amp;ls=1">iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad</a>&nbsp;apps are launching tonight. Android and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/blackberry" class="hidden_link">BlackBerry</a> coming soon, as are web versions.)</p>
<p>But there's a twist: Virtual gifts and micro game features that more closely resemble services popular in Asia than in the U.S. You can give your friends gifts like pictures of a burger, a heart, etc. And you can perform game-like "actions," like throwing sheep or toasting them.</p>
<p>This is also Mogwee's first revenue engine: Once you use up the five free credits for gifts and actions that come with the app, you need to buy more for 99 cents, using the in-app purchasing system.</p>
<p>Will it take off? Services like Mogwee, GroupMe, etc. are definitely the future -- and SMS and MMS are the past. The in-app gaming system seems like it could be fun, especially for kids. So we'll see. This is becoming a crowded field, and it's hard to break into. But these types of services can also really benefit from the network effect, where one user brings five or six more into the fold, leading to very rapid growth.</p>
<p>We'll see if Ning has any user-acquisition tricks up its sleeve, if the gaming and gifts elements are interesting enough to get people hooked, and if the revenue from virtual goods is enough to convince Ning to stick with the project.</p>
<p><strong>Read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ipad-review-day-300-2011-2">The Truth About The iPad, Day 300: I Barely Use It Anymore</a></strong></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ning-mogwee-2011-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/ning-2011-2Ning's Second Coming Is Chugging Along, On Its Way To A $30 Million Revenue Run Ratehttp://www.businessinsider.com/ning-2011-2
Thu, 03 Feb 2011 17:24:00 -0500Dan Frommer
<p><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/N1260.gawkernetwork/B5173555.17;sz=1x1;pc=[TPAS_ID];ord=[timestamp]?&amp;maxX=1&amp;maxY=1" border="0" alt="Advertisement" width="1" height="1" /></p><p></p>
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<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/4be04ba27f8b9a3e5b580100/ning-ceo-jason-rosenthal.jpg" border="0" alt="Ning CEO Jason Rosenthal" width="400" height="300" style="border: 0px initial initial;" />Ning, the "make your own social network" tool, has come down from its Web 2.0-bubble high, when it managed to raise money at a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-ning-plans-to-justify-its-750-million-valuation-2009-7">mind-boggling $750 million</a> valuation.</p>
<p>But after dumping all of its freeloaders (and many employees) in 2010 and focusing solely on paying subscribers, Ning is slowly but surely starting to build a business.</p>
<p>Ning CEO Jason Rosenthal tells us that the company had 80,000 paying subscribers at the end of 2010, and is planning on finishing 2011 with more than 100,000 sites. (He says January had a 30% surge in customer acquisition over December, too.)</p>
<p>Rosenthal&nbsp;says that monthly revenue per user is roughly around $25 -- "right in the middle" of its subscription rates, which range from $3 per month to $50 per month.</p>
<p>So, right now, that puts Ning's subscription revenue around $2 million per month, or almost $25 million per year. If Ning can reach 100,000 paying subscribers at the same monthly revenue per user, it will be on a $30 million annual run rate. Not bad.</p>
<p>How does that compare to the "old" Ning, which boasted more than 1 million social networks?</p>
<p>In April, 2009, we guesstimated that <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ning-blowing-the-doors-off-2009-4">Ning was on a roughly $10 million annual revenue run rate</a>, mostly via add-on subscription features. Then, Ning cofounder/CEO Gina Bianchini had told us that Ning had 12,000 paying subscribers, spending an average $55 per month on pro features, plus some ad revenue.</p>
<p>So it sounds like Ning's decision to get rid of its free "customers" and focus on paying subscribers is paying off.</p>
<p>And Rosenthal is eyeing a huge potential market for growth: Not just people and companies who want their own social networks, but basically anyone who is paying a web host today. That's <em>millions</em> of possible customers for Ning.</p>
<p>We'll see if a <a href="http://creators.ning.com/page/product-roadmap">bunch of new features</a> -- including some slick, new customization features, and ways for Ning site owners to <a href="http://creators.ning.com/page/product-roadmap">charge their members for access</a> -- help continue to bring in new subscribers.</p>
<p><strong>See Also: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tablets-2011-2">Here's Why Apple's iPad Will Dominate The Tablet Market For Years</a></strong></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ning-2011-2#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/why-are-so-many-big-financial-players-chasing-web-startups-2010-12Why Are So Many Big Financial Players Chasing Web Startups? http://www.businessinsider.com/why-are-so-many-big-financial-players-chasing-web-startups-2010-12
Thu, 30 Dec 2010 12:37:00 -0500Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/4d08ed3dccd1d53a36010000/money.jpg" border="0" alt="Money" /></p><p>Groupon's huge, almost billion dollar financing isn't even closed yet, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/groupon-already-raised-half-of-that-huge-new-round-2010-12">we already have the names of some of the investors</a>. Alongside previous investors like <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/digital-sky-technologies">DST</a> some names raised our eyebrows: megabank <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/morgan-stanley">Morgan Stanley</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/fidelity">Fidelity</a>, a pension fund.</p>
<p>Big financial players going after web startups isn't exactly new, but it seems that it's a trend that's on the rise. Morgan Stanley invested in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/twitter">Twitter</a>'s Series D round <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/fidelity">that valued the company at $1 billion</a>. The last time Fidelity invested in a web startup that we know of, it was <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/slide">Slide</a>, alongside T Rowe Price and at a $500 million valuation, before the company was acquired by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/google">Google</a> for a disappointing $182 million. And before that was Legg Mason in Ning, another company that seems to be having trouble.&nbsp;</p>
<p>While Morgan Stanley is a big bank with fingers in every pot, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/mary-meeker">a long history in technology</a>, it's a bit startling to see strait-laced pension funds like Fidelity investing in young web startups.</p>
<p>Now the instinctive response in many people is to cry "BUBBLE!" -- and that's generally been a good instinct.</p>
<p>That being said, this new breed of web companies are actual businesses -- that are growing like literally nothing we've seen before. Slide failed to generate the returns its investors expected, but the thesis behind the company, that there's money in Facebook apps and virtual goods, has been proved staggeringly correct by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/zynga">Zynga</a>. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/ning">Ning</a> is in the midst of a turnaround and might still become a big business.</p>
<p>Meanwhile Twitter and Groupon are on an absolute tear. Morgan Stanley's investment in Twitter at $1 billion looks prescient now that the company has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-raising-200-million-at-37-billion-valuation-2010-12">raised money at $3.7 billion</a>. And <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/groupon">Groupon</a> is on a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/groupon-revenue-run-rate-2010-12">$2 billion gross merchandise sales run rate</a> only a few years after inception. These companies are growing much faster than eBay, Amazon or Google did at the same age. If we were in a populist mood, we'd say these online businesses are much more "real" than the mirages big financial players poured trillions in before the financial crisis.</p>
<p>We think it's another sign of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/heres-why-women-will-drive-the-future-of-the-internet-2010-12">the internet finally turning into the internet</a> -- becoming big enough that huge new businesses can be built overnight. In any case, it's interesting to watch.</p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-are-so-many-big-financial-players-chasing-web-startups-2010-12#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/10-things-we-learned-today-16-2010-610 Things We Learned Todayhttp://www.businessinsider.com/10-things-we-learned-today-16-2010-6
Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:31:52 -0400Nick Saint
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static5.businessinsider.com/image/4b0458670000000000871620/tim-armstrong-paley-tbijpg.jpg" border="0" alt="tim-armstrong-paley-tbi.jpg" /></p><p></p>
<ul>
<li>AOL is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/aol-to-sell-bebo-to-criterion-capital-partners-2010-6">finally getting rid of Bebo</a>, the social networking service it disastrously acquired during the Time Warner era for $850 million. AOL will reportedly <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ouch-aol-only-getting-10-million-for-bebo-2010-6">receive less than $10 million</a> for the service.</li>
<li>The execution of iPhone preordering yesterday was a complete disaster, but the more important thing is what fueled it: Apple absolutely killed it, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-600000-iphone-4-pre-orders-2010-6">selling 600,000 phones yesterday</a>. Apple is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-4-frenzy-expect-600-million-more-in-revenue-this-quarter-for-apple-2010-6">set to make a boatload of cash</a> off the release, and analysts responded by<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-apple-investor-analysts-raise-estimates-as-world-goes-nuts-for-iphone-4-2010-6"> raising their estimates</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-inside-story-how-yahoo-bought-associated-content-2010-6">Fresh details came out</a> about the Yahoo-Associated Content deal.</li>
<li>Google is taking a second shot at a cloud-based video editor for YouTube. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-edit-videos-on-youtube-2010-6">Here's how to use it</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/techcrunch-editor-arrington-hints-hes-burnt-out-and-ready-to-sell-2010-6">Michael Arrington wants to sell</a> his site, TechCrunch. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/announcing-our-offer-for-techcrunch-2010-6">We put in an offer</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nokia-gives-q2-profit-warning-2010-6">Nokia slashed guidance</a> and generally continued its downward spiral. Not that they asked us, but they should consider <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/with-crap-phones-like-this-its-no-wonder-nokia-is-in-trouble-2010-6">making better products</a>.</li>
<li>New York City Startup <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/inside-hot-potatos-new-iphone-app-2010-6">Hot Potato completely overhauled its iPhone app</a>.</li>
<li>In the wake of Yahoo's failure to acquire Foursquare, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/yahoo-exec-goes-to-foursquare-2010-6">Foursquare acquired a Yahoo</a>.</li>
<li>As smartphones become ever more common, mobile search is getting huge, but <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chart-of-the-day-total-searches-on-smartphones-and-pcs-2010-6">ad revenue is still tiny</a>.</li>
<li>Ning announced its new emphasis on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ning-makes-it-easier-for-its-network-creators-to-make-money-2010-6">helping network creators monetize</a>. Is it enough to right the ship?</li>
</ul><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/10-things-we-learned-today-16-2010-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/ning-makes-it-easier-for-its-network-creators-to-make-money-2010-6Ning Makes It Easier For Its Network Creators To Make Moneyhttp://www.businessinsider.com/ning-makes-it-easier-for-its-network-creators-to-make-money-2010-6
Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:01:00 -0400Nick Saint
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/4b756fc900000000004df086/marc-andreessen-innovation-2009.jpg" border="0" alt="marc andreessen, innovation, 2009" /></p><p>Ning, Marc Andreessen's platform for creating customized social networks, is rolling out a number of new ways for network owners to make money today.</p>
<p>Users have always been able to run ads on their networks, but Ning is offering a number of new, fully integrated monetization options.</p>
<p>Specifically, Ning is partnering with gaming platform HeyZap to bring social games to Ning networks, and Cafepress to let networks sell customized merchandise. Ning also added its own donations widget, and one from Chipin.</p>
<p>Ning recently <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/a-funny-thing-happened-on-nings-way-to-a-4-billion-market-2010-5">announced</a> that it was abandoning its freemium approach for a pure subscription model. Starting in July 20, all Ning networks will be signed up to one of three levels of subscription, ranging from $3 to $50 per month. This emphasis on helping its users monetize is partly an effort to soften that blow, encouraging as many of its non-paid networks as possible to pay-up rather than jumping ship.</p>
<p>Ning has had a rocky few months, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/a-funny-thing-happened-on-nings-way-to-a-4-billion-market-2010-5">discontinuing</a> the free networks,<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/henry-blodget-sexiest-ceo-gina-bianchini-steps-down-from-ning-joins-andreessen-horowitz-2010-3"> losing its CEO</a>, and laying off over a third of its workforce. This is the strategy Ning hopes turns it all around.</p>
<p><strong>Don't miss: <a href="../a-funny-thing-happened-on-nings-way-to-a-4-billion-market-2010-5" target="_blank">A Funny Thing Happened On Ning's Way To A $4 Billion Market</a></strong></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ning-makes-it-easier-for-its-network-creators-to-make-money-2010-6#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> http://www.businessinsider.com/a-funny-thing-happened-on-nings-way-to-a-4-billion-market-2010-5A Funny Thing Happened On Ning's Way To A $4 Billion Markethttp://www.businessinsider.com/a-funny-thing-happened-on-nings-way-to-a-4-billion-market-2010-5
Tue, 04 May 2010 12:28:00 -0400Nicholas Carlson
<p><img style="float:right;" src="http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/4be04ba27f8b9a3e5b580100-318-237/ning-ceo-jason-rosenthal.jpg" border="0" alt="Ning CEO Jason Rosenthal" width="318" height="237" /></p><p>Marc Andreessen is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/innovation-series-marc-andreessen">best known for creating two companies worth more than a billion dollars</a>: Opsware and Netscape.</p>
<p>But in building both there was a crucial pivot point where <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/henry-blodget-andreessen-road-to-success-2009-9">Marc realized his company needed to radically change its original business plan and go after another opportunity</a>.</p>
<p>Now one of Marc's proteg&eacute;s, Ning CEO Jason Rosenthal -- himself a Netscape and Opsware veteran -- is trying to pull off a similar trick.</p>
<p>Since Marc cofounded Ning in 2004, it has been a service for people who want to set up custom social networks. There was free version and a paid version of Ning. Users who paid got more features.</p>
<p>Today, Ning formally announced it is shutting down the free version. Users who want to keep using the service will get three options: Ning Pro ($49/month), Ning Plus ($20/month), and Ning Mini ($3/month or $20/year).</p>
<p>(Teachers and students who use the service for free will be allowed to continue to do so, thanks to sponsorship from an as-of-yet unnamed "major educational company," says Jason.)</p>
<p>So why the change?</p>
<p>Jason told us that about a month after <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/henry-blodget-sexiest-ceo-gina-bianchini-steps-down-from-ning-joins-andreessen-horowitz-2010-3">taking the CEO gig in March</a>, he boiled down the numbers and learned that paid users accounted for 80% of the Ning's revenues and about 75% of its traffic.</p>
<p>Faced with a "list longer than my arm of things we could do for our most passionate users," he decided to re-shape Ning into a company that caters to these paying customers only.</p>
<p>"If you're running a service that's so inherently valuable to your users, it's a logical next step to have them pay a nominal fee to use it," Jason explained.</p>
<p>"It's <em>A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Forum</em> kind of deal," Jason told us over the phone.</p>
<p>"You're head down and focused on something and along the way you realize there's a much bigger opportunity staring in your face and you want to correct course and go after it."</p>
<p>AdWeek's Brian Morrissey<a href="http://twitter.com/bmorrissey/statuses/13373946089"> puts it another way</a>: "The 'funny thing' Ning belatedly realized is [that] the Silicon Valley belief in an 'ad revenue faucet' is a fallacy, viral loop or no viral loop."</p>
<p>Ning sizes the new premium market at around $4 billion.</p>
<p><strong>Is Ning one of </strong><strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/early-employees-at-these-8-startups-are-set-to-make-bank-2010-4">8 Startups Where </a></strong><strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/early-employees-at-these-8-startups-are-set-to-make-bank-2010-4">Early Employees </a></strong><strong><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/early-employees-at-these-8-startups-are-set-to-make-bank-2010-4">Are Set To Make Bank</a></strong><strong>? Find out!</strong></p>
<p><em>Disclosure: Marc Andreessen is an investor in Business Insider.</em><strong><br /></strong></p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/a-funny-thing-happened-on-nings-way-to-a-4-billion-market-2010-5#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p>